Moderate Drinking Might Improve Fasting Glucose in People with Diabetes

Moderate drinking is associated with a lower incidence of type 2 diabetes, but whether moderate drinking affects glycemic control has not been described well. In this Israeli study, 109 adults with type 2 diabetes who had not consumed more than one alcoholic drink in the past week were randomly assigned to drink one standard glass of wine (150 mL) or the same amount of nonalcoholic beer daily with dinner for 3 months. All participants received dietary counseling and were instructed to consume a specific amount of calories. Ninety-one people completed the trial.

Fasting blood glucose levels decreased in the alcohol group (from 140 to 118 mg/dL) but not in the nonalcoholic-beer group. These decreases were greatest among patients with higher gl…